Cool‐Season Annual Forage Mixtures for Grazing Beef Steers

Abstract

Cool‐season annuals can be used to extend the grazing season in the South and provide a high quality forage for grazing animals. Objectives of this study were to evaluate various forage mixtures for animal performance, grazing days, and carrying capacity. Four cool‐season annual forage mixtures planted in a prepared seedbed were grazed by weanling beef steers during a 4‐yr study. Forage mixtures included (i) rye ( Secale cereale L.)‐ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum Lam.)‐arrowleaf clover {Trifolium vesiculosum Savi.), (ii) rye‐ryegrass‐ladino clover ( Trifolium repens L.), (iii) ryegrass‐arrrowleaf clover and (iv) ryegrass plus N fertilizer. The grazing season was generally from mid‐November to mid‐May. Forage mixtures containing rye allowed more animal grazing days during December and January, a period when forage is usually most limiting, and allowed more ( P < 0.05) total grazing days (157 vs. 149 d) but produced fewer grazing days in April and May than ryegrass pastures. Daily gains of steers ranged from 2.05 (ryegrass) to 2.21 lb/d (ryegrass‐ladino clover). Beef production/acre averaged 505 lb/acre with cost of gain ranging from $0.32 to $0.36/lb. Rye and clover were beneficial to forage mixtures for enhancing forage availability and animal gains, respectively.